Information AboutSlough |
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''' Slough ( Pronounced ) is a town and Unitary Authority ('''Borough of Slough''') in England . In the 2001 census the Population was 119,070 (est. 122,000 in 2006). It is one of the most ethnically diverse towns in the UK, situated some 22 miles (35 km) west of Central London and 20 miles (32 km) east of Reading . It is home to the Slough Trading Estate , the United Kingdom 's first such estate, the largest in single ownership, and one of the largest in Europe overall. This, coupled with extensive transport links, makes it one of the most important business centres in the South East of England. It is also home to the largest campus of Thames Valley University . Slough is located at . The town is situated just to the west of Greater London . Proximate towns include Windsor to the south, Maidenhead to the west, Uxbridge to the northeast and Bracknell to the southwest. Suburbs Over the years Slough has expanded greatly, incorporating a number of different villages. Original villages which now form Suburb s of modern-day Slough include: Other areas of the town include: The urban area (but not the borough council area) merges into the neighbouring Parishes of The population of Slough's greater urban area is approximately 145,000 inhabitants. HISTORY See Also: History of Slough Most of the area was traditionally part of Buckinghamshire and formed over many years by the amalgamation of villages along the Great West Road . The first recorded uses of the name occur as ''Slo'' in 1196, ''Sloo'' in 1336, and ''Le Slowe'', ''Slowe'' or ''Slow'' in 1437. It first seems to have applied to a hamlet between Upton to the west and Chalvey to the east, roughly around the 'Crown Crossroads' where the road to Windsor (now the A332) met the Great West Roadp 46, ''The History of Slough'', Maxwell Fraser, Slough Corporation, 1973. The Domesday Survey of 1086, refers to Upton, and a wood for 200 pigs, worth £15. During the 13th century, King Henry III had a palace in Cippenham. Parts of Upton Court were built in 1325, while St Mary's Church in Langley was probably built in the late 11th or early 12th century, though it has been rebuilt and enlarged several times. From the mid 17th century, Stagecoaches began to pass through Slough and Salt Hill which became locations for the second stage to change horses on the journey out from London. By 1838 and the opening of the Great Western Railway , Upton-cum-Chalvey's parish Population had reached 1,502. In 1849, a Branch Line was completed from Slough Station to Windsor And Eton Central Railway Station for the Queen's greater convenience. In 1863 Slough became a local government area for the first time, when a Slough Local Board of Health was elected to represent what is now the central part of the modern Borough. This part of Upton-cum-Chalvey Parish became an urban Sanitary District in 1875 and an Urban District Council area in 1894. Slough has 96 listed structures include four Milestones , Slough Station , and Beech, Oak and Linden Houses at Upton Hospital. 1918 saw a large area of agricultural land to the west of Slough developed as an army motor repair depot, used to store and repair huge numbers of motor vehicles coming back from First World War in Flanders . In April 1920 the Government sold the site and its contents to the Slough Trading Co. Ltd. Repair of ex-army vehicles continued until 1925 when the Slough Trading Company Act was passed allowing the company (renamed Slough Estates Ltd ) to establish the world's first Industrial Estate p 109, ''The History of Slough'', Maxwell Fraser, Slough Corporation, 1973. Spectacular growth and employment ensued, with Slough attracting workers from many parts of the UK and abroad. After the Second World War , several further large housing developments arose to take large numbers of people migrating from war-damaged London. Slough was incorporated into Berkshire in the 1974 local government reorganisation. The old Municipal Borough was abolished and replaced by a Non-metropolitan District authority, which was made a Borough by the town's second Royal Charter. Britwell and Wexham Court became part of Slough at this time, with their own Parish Council s. On April 1 1995 , the Borough of Slough expanded slightly into Buckinghamshire and Surrey , to take in Colnbrook and Poyle , which received a joint parish council. Slough became a Unitary Authority on April 1 1998 , with the abolition of Berkshire County Council and the 1973-1998 Borough. The present unitary authority was created a Borough by the town's third Royal Charter . ECONOMY Before the 1800s, the main businesses of Slough were brickfields and agriculture. The bricks for the building of Eton College were made in Slough. Later, as the Great West Road traffic increased, inns and pubs sprang up along the road to service the passing trade. Until the town developed as an industrial area, Nurseries were prominent in the local economy; Cox's Orange Pippin Apple was first raised in Colnbrook (not then within Slough) around 1825 , and the Dianthus 'Mrs Sinkins Pink' was first raised at some point between 1868 p20, ''The Changing Face of Slough'', Slough Museum, Breedon Books, Derby, 2003 and 1883 p100, ''The History of Slough'', Maxwell Fraser, Slough Corporation, Slough 1973 by John Sinkins, the master of the Eton Union Workhouse BBC Gardening Plant profiles - Pinks, dianthus (referenced 24 February 2007) , which lay in Slough. During the 1800s the only major employer apart from the brickfields was and ''Royal Embrocation'' horse liniment from factories in Wellington Street and Chandos Street. Elliman became a major benefactor to the town, and is remembered today in the names of local roads and schools. In 1906, James Horlick , one of the founders of the Eponymous Malted Milk company, opened a purpose-built red-brick factory near to Slough Railway Station to manufacture his malted milk product. Starting in the 1920s, Slough Estates Ltd , the operator of the original Slough Trading Estate , created and operated many more estates in the UK and abroad. The Slough Trading Estate meant that the town was largely insulated from many of the effects of Recession . For many years Slough's economy was mainly manufacturing based. In the last 20 or so years there has been a major shift from a manufacturing to an information based economy. This has seen the closing down of many factories (some of which have been in Slough for many decades). The factories are rapidly being replaced by office buildings. Hundreds of major companies have sited in Slough Trading Estate over the years, with its proximity to London Heathrow Airport and good motorway connections being attractive. In the 1960s Gerry Anderson 's film company was based in Slough, and his Supermarionation series including '' Thunderbirds '' were filmed there. The UK headquarters of Mars, Incorporated is based in Slough, the main factory having been created in 1932 by Forrest Mars Sr. after a quarrel with his father, Frank C. Mars . He proceeded to produce and develop the world famous Mars Bar in Slough over 70 years ago. The European head offices of major IT companies such as Network Associates, Computer Associates, PictureTel and Compusys (amongst others) are all located in the town. O2 is headquartered in the town. The town is also home to the National Foundation For Educational Research , which is housed in The Mere. In recent years, Slough's manufacturing industries have been in decline, instead being replaced by modern offices, including those of Nintendo , Black And Decker , and the UK branch of popular online retailer, Amazon.com . Dulux Paint s are still manufactured in Slough by Imperial Chemical Industries . Satchwell have been manufacturing electrical and electronic products in Slough since the 1920s, currently focusing on climate controls such as thermostats. The motor trade has long been represented in Slough. Citroën assembled cars in a Liverpool Road factory (later used by Mars Confectionery) on Slough Trading Estate, and retain their UK headquarters in the town. Ford built Transit Vans at their factory in Langley (a former Hawker Aircraft site from 1936 to the 1950sp120, ''The Changing Face of Slough'', Slough Museum, Breedon Books, Derby, 2003) until the site was redeveloped for housing in the 1990s. Ferrari , Fiat and Maserati now have offices in the town. Slough's transport links make it an ideal location for those working in London , but looking for more affordable accommodation; as such it attracts a large number of young professionals and families. CULTURAL, ETHNIC, AND FAITH COMMUNITIES During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Slough became a haven for unemployed Welsh people, who walked up the Great West Road looking for employment. In the post-war years, immigrants from the Commonwealth , notably Anguilla , Antigua And Barbuda , India and Pakistan were attracted to the town, settling predominantly in Chalvey. In the early 1950s there were a number of Polish refugee camps scattered around the Slough area. As returning to Poland (then in the Soviet Bloc ) was not considered an option by many of the war-time refugees, many Polish families decided to settle in Slough, an expanding town seeking committed workers and offering a chance to own homes for those prepared to work hard. In time, a Polish speaking Roman Catholic Parish was established with its own church building. A new wave of Polish migration to Slough has followed since Poland became part of the European Union . Slough Council made history by electing the country's first black female mayor, Lydia Simmons , in 1984. Slough has the highest percentage of Sikh residents in the country according to the latest national Census figures (2001). Sikh residents make up 9.1 per cent of Slough’s population, more than any other local authority. Slough also has the highest percentage of Muslim (13.4 per cent) and Hindu residents (4.5 per cent) in the South East region. In 1999, a group of young Sikhs got together to create Khalsa Aid , an international, non-profit aid and relief organisation. HEART OF SLOUGH The Heart Of Slough Project is a highly ambitious, multimillion Pound plan for the redevelopment of Slough's Town Centre. The aim is to create a leading European and national focus, and cultural quarter for creative media, information and communications industries. It will create a mixed-use complex, multi-functional buildings, visual landmarks and a public space in the Thames Valley . Most recently recommendations for the £400 million project have been approved, with work possibly starting in 2008 for completion in 2011. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/6201145.stm CULTURAL, ARTISTIC AND LITERARY REFERENCES
Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough It isn't fit for humans now There isn't grass to graze a cow. Swarm over, death! :However, on the centenary of the poet's birth, the daughter of the poet apologised for the poem. Candida Lycett-Green said her father "regretted having ever written it". During her visit, Ms Lycett-Green presented Mayor of Slough David MacIsaac with a book of her father's poems. In it was written: "We love Slough". Poetic justice at last for Slough :''Drop a bomb on Slough, Drop a bomb on Slough :''Drop a bomb on Slough, Drop a bomb on Slough TRANSPORT Major roads Bus services Rail links Crossrail Slough, along with a number of other boroughs, is bidding to be part of the Crossrail Project, a new trans-London rail link likely to start construction in the early 2010s: TRIVIA FAMOUS PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH SLOUGH DEATHS AND FUNERALS IN SLOUGH SISTER CITIES Slough is Twinned with: SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS Official Media Mapping Community Festivals and events Sporting clubs Business ''Heart of Slough'' Project Miscellaneous |
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